Tongue-support



(No Model.)

T. E. BURLINGAME.

TONGUE SUPPORT.

N0. 372;?40. Patented Nov. 8, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS E. BURLINGAME, OF DELAVAN, ILLINOIS.

TONGUE-SUPPO RT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent; No. 372,740, dated November 8, 1887.

Application filed July 18, 1887. Serial No. 244,023. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. BURLIN- GAME, a citizen of the United States, residing at Delavan, in the county of Tazewell and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Tongue-Supports; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to tongue-supports for vehicles.

The object of the invention is to produce a tongue-support which shall be much stronger and less liable to become injured or dislodged by jolting than tonguesupports as heretofore made. Furthermore, the object isto produce a tongue-support whereby the height of the tongue may be regulated or adjusted rapidly and with but little manipulation of the parts.

With these objects in view the invention resides, essentially, in atongue-support consisting in a spring attached to the axle or other portion of the frame of the vehicle, which moves with the tongue, and a hanger attached to the frame or box of the vehicle and Sustaining the spring in proper operative companying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view showing the application of my tongue support, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the means for adjusting the height; and Fig. 4: is a detail view showing the end of the spring and the means for re aining it in place upon the tongue.

In the drawings, A represents the axle of a vehicle, upon which are mounted the wheels B. To this axle is secured, by a king-bolt in the usual way, a bolster, L.

0 represents a tongue, which is attached to the hounds D in the usual manner by the pin F, and is capable of alimited vertical movement. The tongue is held in the desired position by means of the curved spring J, one 4 end of which is formed with an eye, 0, se-

cured to the axle by means of a bracket, N, firmly attached to the axle, and having a bolt which passes through the eye in the spring. The outer end of the spring bears upon the under side of the tongue and supports it in its proper positioh. The tongue is provided at the point where the spring bears with a guide or shoe, Q, which protects the tongue against wear caused by the friction of the end of the spring on the tongue. The spring is supported at or near its center by a stirrup, I, which is attached at its upper end to the bolster or other portion of the vehicle elevated above the tongue a sufficient distance. It is desirable that the upper end of the stirrup be attached in such manner as to be allowed both a vertical and a horizontal movement, in order to be capable of moving with the tongue. To accomplish this the ends of the stirrups are formed with eyes, through which pass a bolt or pin mounted in the end of a bar, H, which bar is connected to the bolster by the bracket in such manner as tohaveafree horizontal move ment. Thus, as the ends of the stirrup are connected to the pin G in such manner as to permit a vertical movement, the stirrup is free to move with the tongue. The stirrup is attached to the spring by means of the plate J, having a slot, and the bolt I. Thus it will be seen the height of the pole may be changed at will by sliding the plate and by securing it in place by the bolt.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A tonguesupport consisting of the spring bearing at its outer end upon the tongue, the stirrup connected to the bolster and provided with the bracket whereby it is attached to the bolster, and the plate having the eye receiving the stirrup and theslot receiving the bolt, whereby its position may be regulated, substantially as described.

2. Atonguesupportconsisting of thespriug J, connected to the axle and bearing against the tongue, the stirrup provided with the bracket for connecting it to the bolster, and

the plate J, provided with the eye for the re- I ception of the stirrup and with the slot, and the bolt passing through the spring and the plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS E. BURLINGAME. \Vitnesses:

DAVID H. MEAD, A. KEITHLEY. 

